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Best Business Banks for Startups in 2026 hero
Business banking · Rankings

Best Business Banks for Startups in 2026

By Sophie Brown, Senior Finance Editor
Updated Apr 13, 2026
10 min read

Choosing the right business bank matters for your long-term financial health. DollarScout evaluated the top business bank accounts on fees, ease of use, feature set, and customer support to help you find the best fit for your needs in 2026.

Quick summary

Our top 5 picks

1
Best overall for startups
Mercury
4.6 / 5.0
2
Best for cash-flow-positive startups
Bluevine
4.4 / 5.0
3
Best for co-founder and bookkeeper access
Relay
4.3 / 5.0

The rankings

5 products compared
1
Mercury
· Best overall for startups
4.6/5
2
Bluevine
· Best for cash-flow-positive startups
4.4/5
3
Relay
· Best for co-founder and bookkeeper access
4.3/5
4
Novo
· Best for bootstrapped founders
4.2/5
5
Lili
· Best for pre-incorporation solo founders
4.3/5

Side-by-side comparison

Every product across every metric we scored.

Feature
#1
Mercury
#2
Bluevine
#3
Relay
#4
Novo
#5
Lili
DollarScout rating 4.6 / 5.0 4.4 / 5.0 4.3 / 5.0 4.2 / 5.0 4.3 / 5.0
Best for Best overall for startups Best for cash-flow-positive startups Best for co-founder and bookkeeper access Best for bootstrapped founders Best for pre-incorporation solo founders
Account minimum $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commissions $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs
Mobile app iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android
Fractional shares — — — — —
Standout feature Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing

Detailed reviews

In-depth look at every product on our list.

Best Overall · Editor's Choice
1
Ranked #1

Mercury

4.6/5 4.6
DollarScout rating
Mercury logo
Mercury
Best overall for startups

Mercury stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Visit Site
Read full review on Mercury's website
Rating
4.6 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Mercury stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Mercury review
Our pick for best for cash-flow-positive startups
2
Ranked #2

Bluevine

4.4/5 4.4
DollarScout rating
Bluevine logo
Bluevine
Best for cash-flow-positive startups

Bluevine stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Visit Site
Read full review on Bluevine's website
Rating
4.4 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Bluevine stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Bluevine review
Our pick for best for co-founder and bookkeeper access
3
Ranked #3

Relay

4.3/5 4.3
DollarScout rating
Relay logo
Relay
Best for co-founder and bookkeeper access

Relay stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Visit Site
Read full review on Relay's website
Rating
4.3 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Relay stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Relay review
Our pick for best for bootstrapped founders
4
Ranked #4

Novo

4.2/5 4.2
DollarScout rating
Novo logo
Novo
Best for bootstrapped founders

Novo stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Visit Site
Read full review on Novo's website
Rating
4.2 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Novo stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Novo review
Our pick for best for pre-incorporation solo founders
5
Ranked #5

Lili

4.3/5 4.3
DollarScout rating
Lili logo
Lili
Best for pre-incorporation solo founders

Lili stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Visit Site
Read full review on Lili's website
Rating
4.3 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Lili stands out in the business banking space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating business bank accounts.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Lili review
Our methodology

How we scored every product on this list

Our rankings combine hands-on testing, public filings where applicable, and verified user feedback. All business bank accounts are regulated by the OCC and FDIC (via partner banks for fintechs).

Every ranking combines hands-on testing, public filings where available, and verified user feedback. Read our full methodology for the complete scoring rubric.

Sophie Brown
Written by
Sophie Brown
Senior Finance Editor
Updated Apr 13, 2026